Railway time-signal



(No ModeL) A. P. ODELL.

I RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL. No. 357,407. Patented Feb. 8 1887.

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signal embodying my invention.

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PATENT RAILWAY TIM E-SIGNAL.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 357,407, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed June 3, 1886. Serial No. 204,0l8. (-No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT P. ODELL, of Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTimeSignals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

' My invention relates to an improvement in time-signals; and it consists in the combination of a suitable spring, which is placed between the rails of the track and which is depressed by the passage of the'locomotive over it, a rod connected to the spring, a lever which is attached to the lower end of the rod, suitable connecting-rods, a cylinder, a valved piston-head placed therein, a piston-rod which is operated by the connecting-rods, a suitable standard or support to which the signal is pivoted, and an arm which connects the signalto the piston-rod, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter. F

The object of my invention is to construct a signal which will indicate after a train has passed to each succeeding train how many minutes since the preceding train has passed by the signal.

Figure l is a vertical cross-section of a time Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

A represents the rails of the track, midway between which is placed a suitable spring, B, which projects upward just far enough to be operated by the locomotive as it passes over it. The locomotive will be provided with a wheel or other device, which will reach down between the rails of the track a distance proportioned to which the spring is tobe depressed, and which wheel or other device, by bearing upon the spring, will depress it a suitable distance. Connected to the under side of this spring B is the rod 0, which has a hook or shoulder, D, formed upon its lower end for engaging with the operating -lever. Around this rod 0 is placed the spiral spring E, which has its lower end to bear upon the top of the operating lever, and which spring is compressed as the rod is forced downward by the spring B. When the spring and the rod are depressed, the lower hooked end of the" rod passes on downward below the operating-lever F, and then, as the tension of the springs B and E draws the rod upward, the hook D catches against the under side of the operatinglever F and draws the lever upward. The lever F is pivoted, as shown, and connected to its outer end are the two connecting -rods G H, which serve to connect this lever with the piston-rod I. This piston rod I is connected to the piston-head J, which is placed in the cylinder L, located to one side of the track. This cylinder is air-tight, and has no opening either for escapement or the admission of air. The valve in the piston-head'opens downward,

so that as the piston is forced upward, as shown late the passage of air through it, and then,

as the piston is caused to descend, both by its own gravity and the weight of the signal, the air passes slowly through the stop-cock N, and thus regulates the length of time required for the piston-head to descend.

The piston-rod extends upward asuitable distance, preferably inside of a column or hollow post, 0, in which, at its upper end, is pivoted the signal P. This signal]? is connected to the piston-rod by meansof the arm Q. When the piston and its rod are forced upward, the signalds raised into the position shown in dotted lines, and while in this horizontal position the signal indicates to all succeeding trains that a train has just passed along upon the track, As the signal gradually descends its position indicates to succeeding trains the length of time since the train passed along over that track. \Vhen'the signal has reached the position shown in solid lines, the engineers of succeeding trains know that no train has preceded them within twenty minutes, or other time to which the signals are set. If the time required for the signal to fall istwenty minutes, then the engineers will know by the position of the signal just how far in advance the other train is, provided it.

has passed along over the track within twenty minutes. These signal-posts are intended to be placed at every mile along the track, and thus constantly keep the engineers posted in regard to the run niug of the trains which have preceded them upon that track.

By means of a time signal constructed as here shown and described, all accidents caused by the running of one train into the rear of another will be entirely overcome.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a time signal, the combination of the spring placed between the tracks, a rod connected to its under side, the operatinglever, the valved piston-head, piston-rod, cylinder, and signal, substantially as shown.

2. In a time-signal, the combination of the spring placed between the tracks, the hooked rod connected to its under side, a spring placed 20 upon the rod, the operating-lever, the valved piston-head, the piston-rod, the cylinder, and signal, substantially as described. 3. The combination of the spring B, placed between the tracks, the rod 0, placed under 2 5 the spring and provided with the shoulder D on its lower end, the spring E, placed around the rod, lever F, rods G H, piston-rod, cylinder, piston, and time-signals, substantially as set forth. 0

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

A. P. ODELL.

VVituesses:

F. A. LEHMANN, A. V. BREOHT. 

